The invention relates generally to a headrest for seats. More specifically, the invention relates to a removable headrest which can be affixed to motor vehicle seats which lack any type of head support or safety cushioning device.
One of the most common physical injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents is severe neck strain or whiplash. Driver or passenger neck injuries can result when the vehicle collides into an object or is hit from the rear. When a vehicle is struck from behind, the vehicle lunges forward and the occupants, having a lower relative velocity, are pushed forward by the surrounding seat causing their head to swing backwards. Alternatively, when a forward moving vehicle collides with an object, the human occupants are hurled forward as the vehicle rapidly decelerates. As the occupants are thrown forward, their forward motion will be halted by either a seatbelt restraining device or interior components of the vehicle. These devices typically cause the occupant to then be thrown backwards where, again, the occupant's head is flung backwards. In either event, the occupant's seat is the primary surface which cushions the rearward moving energy of the occupant. Many vehicle seats, however, only provide cushioning and support below the neck of the occupant. No support or cushioning is provided for the occupant's head.
Long ago, vehicle manufacturers recognized the problem of whiplash and incorporated headrests into vehicle seats to prevent or minimize head injuries. Many vehicles, however, still do not incorporate headrests as standard equipment. Vehicles typically lacking any headrest device include pickup trucks, commercial and rental moving trucks, school buses, and industrial equipment such as tractors, forklifts, earth moving equipment and trash removal trucks.
Therefore, there is a need for a simple and adaptable headrest assembly which can be simply attached to seats in motor vehicles without any special tools and without altering or modifying the existing structure of the seat. The device should be lightweight and adaptable to any size or shape of seat. The removability of such a device is essential, because many of the drivers or passengers which would use such a device are often in the employ of the vehicle owners. As such, the user may desire to have the option of removing the headrest at the end of each day's work, so that the device can be transferred to and from different vehicles if necessary. Such a device should be inexpensive, durable, well anchored to the vehicle seat and provide a sufficient degree of protection against whiplash or neck injury in the event of a vehicle accident. Herein is described such a device.